


Leap of Faith

by Sarek and Amanda Archive Maintainer (Selek)



Category: Star Trek - Various Authors, Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Authors of entvirtualseason, General Kapact, Kapact
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-23
Updated: 2013-03-23
Packaged: 2017-12-06 04:25:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,209
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/731414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Selek/pseuds/Sarek%20and%20Amanda%20Archive%20Maintainer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the first "episode" of Enterprise's Season Five and it features Sarek and Amanda as well as time travel.  What could be better than that?</p><p>Written by Kapact and the authors of entvirtualseason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leap of Faith

**Author's Note:**

> Executive Producer's Note:
> 
> Folks, this is our first effort. Everyone contributed to it, from comments to text to questions, answers, some kick-ass editing and beta-ing. People in this group also contributed to it. Thanks a bunch. I don't know if this is longer than you generally want single posts to be, but I am posting as is anyway. Selek, I would be honoured if you would like to archive this. Please don't be shy about opinions. Here. Even folks who don't like Enterprise, please have a look at this and tell me what you liked or didn't like about it. That's important to me.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Kapact

` **Leap of Faith** `  
` (From an idea suggested by Mzsnaz)`  
  
`Production members:`  
`(in alphabetic order, more or less)`  
  
`Beonewiththeuniverse`  
`Capt Jim`  
`calla23lil`  
`fardreaming`  
`Kapact` ` (Executive Producer)`  
`johnfwillis`  
`keirianh`  
`Mrs Kapact`  
`mzsnaz1108`  
`pathsearcher1`  
`Selek`  
`taitlu`  
`tpree1951`  
  
  
  
` **Terra Prime: Conclusion (Rewrite)** ` **  
**  
`Phlox tore his gaze away from the small form in the sterile chamber. It wasn't any easier to face Trip and T'Pol. "I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do." Those words were the most difficult for him to say, because they meant he was giving up.`  
  
` "But.but why?"` ` Trip sounded empty. Helpless. Scared "It isn't fair, Doc."`  
  
`Phlox saw T'Pol raise one eyebrow, then lower it. An objection raised, then just as quickly discarded. "There is an enzyme in her blood, created by the joining of your DNA that simply is not compatible. It is starving the blood."`  
  
`"But -" Denial spread across Trip's face like a shroud. "You said that humans and Vulcans can."`  
  
`"There is no biological reason why Humans and Vulcans cannot procreate, given a better understanding of interspecies genetics. But in this case, you two as a couple are simply not compatible. Just as two humans might not be able to have children." He wanted to be able to tell them something else. Something positive. But there was nothing. Their child, unintentional as it had been, was dying.`  
  
`"She will live without pain, quite happily, for a few days. Maybe a week. But then—"`  
  
`"Don't let her feel any pain, Doc."`  
  
`Phlox looked from Trip to T'Pol. "She won't. I promise."`  
  
`Hours later, in the dark solitude of T'Pol's quarters, they both gazed out at sparkling Earth rotating slowly beneath them. "You hardly said a word." Trip regretted the words as soon as he said them.`  
  
`"What would you have me say? We did not intend to have this child. I have not given birth to her. But she is our daughter. And now we know it is impossible for us to have children." T'Pol wanted to sink into Trip's eyes, but she also wanted to be alone. She wanted to…to be able to be weak for once. A single tear betrayed her.`  
  
`Trip felt the burn of the Vulcan tear against his face. "T'Pol. I thought--"`  
  
`She looked down at his vulnerable face. "It is not spoken of, Trip, but we do have emotions. It is just that we have learned to suppress them."`  
  
`"Until now?"  
  
"Until I learned what was impossible."`  
  
  
  
` **"A Leap of Faith" Prologue** ` **  
**  
  
`Romulus`  
` Krokton` ` Segment`  
`29th Century`  
  
  
`The` ` speaker looked across the small dirty table at his followers with disdain. He had seen ` `Romulus` ` in better days. He had seen the Empire in greater glory than this. What he had proposed might be the only way to return it to those glorious days. "You have all seen the evidence. Our course is clear. He must die."`  
  
`"That is only one solution." This one had small ridges, and barely slanted eyebrows. "There may be others. Going back in time is too big a risk. There are too many variables in both time periods."`  
  
`"You are afraid." The speaker could, from as far away as he was, sense the extreme fear. "The Empire needs us. It needs bold action, and it needs it now. He must die." He glanced quickly at the holo-image in the centre of the table. The face stared back at him relentlessly. The same face that had ultimately cost them the Empire. "He must."`  
  
`Each follower looked at the face that had brought an end to more than a thousand years of the Romulan Empire. That put an end to the dissent.`

  
  
  
`The speaker could see little through the green haze of the temporal communicator. An officer stood before him. He could see pointed ears, and the hint of an angular face. The eyebrow ridges that they had gained in later years were obviously absent. "It could not be a simpler assignment. If you arrive at the set time, they will be unable to stop you. All you have to do is take him and leave. Your contact in the embassy will have the location of the other one. Give him to your contact, and then return home. By the time they know what happened, it will be too late." He wanted to impart the gravity of the situation, but this was a simple creature. It might get nervous and make mistakes. "If you are successful, you'll save the Empire." Before the officer could ask any questions, the speaker cut the communication, and waited for the change.`  
  
`- - - - - - -`  
  
`She fingered the colorful box nervously. It was supposed to be foolproof. He had said it was simple to operate, and even simpler in function. All it needed was faith and courage. Without warning, an archway of brilliant green energy appeared before her. Just as he had said it would. She ignored the voice in her head that urged caution and leaped into her destiny.`  
  
`There was a crowd in the small room. The walls were sterile white-on-white, just like everything else about the Vulcans. Passionless and empty. She noted quickly the only people in the room who were not gathered around a biobed. The woman was human. The man was Vulcan. A Vulcan face she knew and hated. Sarek. So she was where and when she was supposed to be. She ran past the startled couple and into the throng of doctors. There were voices still droning on about how critical it was, and something about the blood being unstable. Then she had the baby in her arms, and she was pushing out of the crowd. The doctors were trying to grab her, and the human woman shrieked. Not wanting to get caught in a protracted struggle, she struck out blindly with her free hand. When she was finally clear, she tapped the hand unit. Another archway appeared, just as it was supposed to. Without looking back, she jumped through the archway and was gone.`

  
  
  
`Sarek of Vulcan watched with disbelief as the woman and his son disappeared into the green maelstrom that flashed and was gone before anyone could react. A painful sound next to him forced his attention away from the swarm of doctors and arriving Federation`  
  
`Security forces to the source of the commotion.`  
  
`"Amanda," he murmured, hoping that his voice was steadier than his thoughts. His tone did not end the chaos, but something communicated itself to his frantic wife.`  
  
`"Sarek," she whispered, tears now evident now that the weight of the situation exerted itself further. "Oh God, what happened? Where's Spock? Who was that woman, and where are they now? Where's my baby?"`  
  
`"Unknown," he replied, knowing his response was not a welcome one. "We shall learn more once the security force investigates."`  
  
`"They disappeared," Amanda said, staring at the spot she had last seen her son. "How could that be?"`  
  
`"We shall learn more momentarily," Sarek replied. He wished to say more, but a member of the security force, her identification badge indicating some higher rank, approached.`  
  
`"Ambassador Sarek, I'm Inspector Ivly MacCarver," the petite human woman said. She pulled back a dark lock of hair from her eyes as she examined a readout from a humming tricorder. "We've been unable to determine just what happened; however, at the moment, we must assume that the kidnapping is political in nature."`  
  
`"Kidnapped," Amanda said, exhaling the word in horror. `

`Sarek understood well her fear. It was his worst fear that someone would harm his family in any way, and to take his son. There was nothing he wouldn't do to have his child returned safely. He glanced at his wife, and immediately drew her to him. Propriety could wait. He noticed a fleeting smile as he physically pulled her closer to be enclosed in his arms, but nothing could wipe the fear and panic from her blue eyes.  "We shall have him back," he said. `

`Amanda nodded weakly.  "Yes," she dutifully said, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I know we'll get him back. We have to."`  
  
`"Indeed," Doctor T'Pala said stoically. "It is essential that the infant be returned immediately."`  
  
`Sarek could psychically feel the jolt of alarm the doctor's statement evoked from his wife. "What do you mean, Healer?" he asked, preventing Amanda from asking the dreaded question.`  
  
`"The treatment we gave your son just prior to his abduction essentially shut down his immune system," the healer explained coolly. "There could not have been a worse time for Spock to have been taken."`  
  
`"Interesting," Sarek said. `

`Amanda sharply looked up at him. "Interesting?" she repeated, her tone incredulous. "The healer is telling us that this is absolutely the worst time possible, and all you can say is `interesting'?"`  
  
`"I merely suggest that Spock's abduction would seem to indicate more planning than that of retribution," Sarek replied, sending calming thoughts to his wife. `

`She sighed deeply.  "So this might not have to do with a political agenda at all," she said. `

`Sarek was gratified by her logical deduction. "Correct. The person may have other unidentified motives in selecting Spock."`  
  
`"But what reason could there be?" Amanda asked. `

`The investigator, who had been listening to the interaction, interrupted.  "That's what we'd like to find out," MacCarver said. "If this is a kidnapping, it might be best for the two of you to return to your home. We'll send a security officer with you. The kidnapper might try to contact you to offer ransom demands."`  
  
`Sarek felt Amanda's shiver even as he nodded in agreement. "We shall take our leave of you, Inspector," he said. "If we should be contacted, you will be notified immediately."`  
  
`The inspector nodded, her dark eyes troubled by the lack of information presently offered. She watched as the Vulcan walked with his human wife toward the exit. They paused near the spot where the `green portal' had appeared, and MacCarver solemnly observed the young woman reach out her hand, fingers trying to find the last place her child had been. Her hand dropped, discouraged, as the empty space offered no answer. They left slowly, and their despair rallied the investigator.  All right, folks," she said to her team. "We need some answers fast. Healer, you said that there couldn't be a worse time. What did you mean by that?"`  
  
`The healer calmly replied. "I estimate that the infant's survival without further treatment would be approximately 12.32 hours. After that, his immune system would be permanently compromised, and he will die."`  
  
`"Twelve point thirty-two hours," MacCarver repeated. Less than a day, and so far there was no indication of what had happened. `Poor baby' she thought even as she spoke. "All right, team, let's get some answers! There's a baby out there somewhere that is in desperate need of medical assistance. Let's find him."`

  
  
  
`The couple rode in silence as their thoughts flowed from one ominous possibility to another. How could this have happened? How could their son just disappear? Who took him? Sarek said nothing about the worst of his suspicions that Spock had been taken and immediately killed by a fanatic with a politically motivated agenda. He could sense that Amanda's gloomy thoughts were moving in a similar fashion. Ill-founded speculation was not logical, but nothing could prevent the maddening fears of what might be currently happening to their child. Nothing would end the nightmare except for their son's safe return.`  
  
`The gates that surrounded the ambassador's residence opened and the occupants of the vehicle were subjected to the customary identity scan. Amanda had become so used to the scan that she generally ignored the `clear' light that allowed the limo to enter the gates. Now, she found the entire issue of security a moot point. What purpose was served by checks, scans, force fields, and guards if a person could appear out of nowhere and leave without a trace?`  
  
`They entered their peaceful home without a word, too dazed to speak. Ee-chiya bounded forward, her body shaking with an enthusiastic welcome. She stopped to sniff at her master's hand, and then a low whine began. It was too much for Amanda to bear, and she ran toward the hall that led to the rest chambers. Sarek knelt to pat the confused sehlat's head and rub the creatures' ears. Once Ee-chiya calmed, he strode to the hall to find his wife. He knew without calling for her which room she would be in.`  
  
`The silence was broken by the tinkling sound of a music box. Sarek stopped just outside Spock's bedroom door to listen to the strangely melancholy tune. Amanda had told him the song's title was `Rock A Bye, Baby', and he had commented on the rather absurd image of a child being rocked in a cradle on a tree branch. He watched from the doorway as she clung to the top rail of their son's crib, staring at the empty space in a vain attempt to will the boy to appear.`  
  
`"Down will come baby, cradle and all," she whispered, her voice cracking.`  
  
`"He will be returned to us," Sarek said, but he knew his insistent statement would do nothing.`  
  
`"What if…"`  
  
`Without warning, a glowing portal appeared against the wall opposite the crib. The couple stared, transfixed by the unexpected manifestation. Sarek's logic and intellect warred with his desire to retrieve his son, and he wasn't surprised by the end result.  Before the portal disappeared and without an explanation, he grabbed Amanda's arm and dashed forward. He could feel no sense of trepidation within her only the hope that the portal would lead them to Spock. They disappeared into the void, and less than a second later, darkness again filled the room. The only sound that reverberated through the house was the howl of a baffled sehlat.`

  
  
  
`Amanda felt a sharp pain as her left knee hit the hard marble floor. Then she felt something even more disturbing... an emotion. An uncharacteristic emotion was coming through the link she shared with Sarek. It was very brief and only lasted a moment before Sarek's emotional shields snapped back into place. She wondered what emotion it was and then she knew... Astonishment. That was it. What could possibly have this effect on her husband? Amanda frantically looked around. She had just lost her son. She could not bear to lose her husband as well.`  
  
`"Sarek, what is it? What's wrong?"  Amanda tried to go to her husband but a wave of disorientation swept over her.  She was feeling very light-headed, but it wasn't from the pain in her knee. Slowly, as she got used to it, the dizziness began to clear. "The gravity here is less than Vulcan. This place... it seems so familiar. It feels... feels almost like..."`  
  
`Sarek finished her sentence for her, "Earth. We're on Earth. I know this place... I've been here before. It's the old Vulcan embassy. But this is not the Earth we know. When we stepped into the portal, I had assumed that it was just an alien version of the transporter, but no transporter could have brought us here."`  
  
`Amanda wasn't quite convinced. "Isn't it possible that some culture has mastered sub-quantum teleportation and it was they that brought us here?"`  
  
`"You do not understand, my wife. The Vulcan embassy hasn't looked like this since before the Federation was formed. No, we have not merely traveled through space, but through time as well."`  
  
`While they were speaking a crowd had been forming around them. But the crowd parted to let one man step through. He extended his hand to help Sarek and his wife up. "The Vulcan Science Directorate has determined that time-travel is impossible."`  
  
`It was then that Sarek noticed the clothing of this man who was helping them. It identified him as a member of the Vulcan diplomatic corps... a diplomat that looked extremely familiar, but he couldn't quite place him. Then slowly realization of who he was began to dawn. "Ambassador..." The man looked impossibly young. Sarek's mind couldn't latch onto it... he simply had to say the name no matter what his mind was telling him... "Soval."`  
  
`Soval's left eyebrow arched upward at hearing his name spoken by this stranger who he had just met. "You have me at a disadvantage. May I ask your name and your business here?"`  
  
`The answer was immediately on Amanda's lips, "Spock..."`  
  
`Sarek continued the explanation, "Our infant son has been kidnapped. We have traveled through time and arrived here. We have reason to believe he may be here, somewhere."`  
  
`Soval replied, "Your story is highly illogical. Not only is time travel impossible as I've already said, but there has only ever been one Vulcan-Human hybrid, and she is dying... Vulcans and Humans are apparently incapable of interbreeding; therefore, you could not have had a son together. I don't know why you would, but I can only conclude that you are lying to me."`  
  
`Sarek didn't have the time to convince Soval he was telling the truth. Then an idea occurred to him, "I'm invoking diplomatic protocol alpha-133-1334."`  
  
`Once again Soval couldn't help but to raise an eyebrow at this. He stood still for a moment considering alternatives but whoever this man was, he did know about the diplomatic code signifying grave danger and requiring him to comply immediately. Soval went to the nearest console, "Security, this is Ambassador Soval. Seal the building. We have a kidnapping situation. Search the building for..."`  
  
`Sarek supplied the rest, "A Vulcan woman and an infant boy which also appears Vulcan."`  
  
`Soval continued into the comm unit on the desk, "Look for a Vulcan woman and infant. Use extreme caution. We don't know if she is armed or what type of weapons she might have." Then, turning to Sarek and Amanda, said, "Come. We will go to my office. We will be able to talk there... privately."`  
  
`Once they were in the office, Soval again addressed Sarek and Amanda, "There is much here that you must explain. For example, the protocol you used has only been recently been agreed upon -- a result of the dissolution of the High Command. It is not yet in common usage. How did you know of it?"`  
  
`"I am a diplomat myself. The interim protocol has become common knowledge to Vulcans of my time." said Sarek.`  
  
`"Ah yes, the time travel story again." Soval couldn't help adding, "You sound like a certain human captain I know."`

  
  
`Meanwhile, elsewhere in the building, a green glowing portal appeared in one of the back rooms. Out of it tumbled a Romulan female carrying a small bundle. But unlike Sarek and Amanda, she seemed used to this kind of travel and easily kept her footing. The baby, on the other hand, began to softly cry, immediately getting the attention of the Romulan female holding him. "Don't worry little one. I will not harm you. My orders are to turn you over to the temporal agents in this time period. I cannot guarantee that They will not harm you, but know this, your sacrifice will not be in vain. If everything goes as planned, not only will the Romulan Empire come to own this miserable planet but also the world I took you from -- the one which spawned my race. Think of it... Vulcan and Earth... the two worlds you call home, both part of the new Romulan Star Empire."`  
  
`With a smile, she pulled out a small comm unit, "This is Spark calling Flame... Our package has arrived."`  
  
`Commander Solak saw the display light up, and was genuinely surprised. The intruder alert, showed an unauthorized communication from the newly installed transporter device. There had been no intruders indicated earlier, and now there was one near the center of the complex, and he or she would have had have passed through the typically stringent embassy security. It was simply illogical that someone could have made it so easily. Not impossible, obviously, since they had... but highly improbable. Unless-. Then he heard Soval's announcement.`  
  
`'Spark' held the infant in her arms, willing it to be quiet. "Go quietly, child. Vanish quietly into history." And do not give me away! The 'whoosh' of doors opening startled her. A Vulcan stepped through, and she almost panicked.`  
  
`"You're late." He cast an angry glance at her. "There's a problem."`  
  
`"What?" Her mind quickly ran through a series of possible disasters. Each seemed to end in her capture.`  
  
`"The offspring in this time period is female. You'll need to keep that," he indicated the infant in her arms, "in hiding until the other one is dead. Otherwise they'll realize they've been switched."`  
  
`"But why switch them at all? Why not just let him die?"`  
  
`"You are not supposed to ask questions, Commander. But if you must know," he glanced over his shoulder, as if expecting to be caught talking more than he should, "the other side has temporal agents too. Even a cold war needs two sides. We must make them think we haven't succeeded."`  
  
`"But if they suspect something anyway-"`  
  
`"There won't be enough left to check." He thought he saw her face go a shade yellow. That meant the same with all Vulcanoid species. Shock. "Get on the platform." He moved to the console and input the coordinates he'd been updating for the last twelve hours. He saw that she was standing on the platform with the infant in her arms. "They detected your transmission. I'll probably be caught, thanks to you."`  
  
`She was about to answer him when her stomach started to churn, and she wanted to be sick. Then she flopped to the floor...`  
  
`She was no longer in the embassy. She had transported. To the ` `Enterprise` `, if all was going according to plan. Now it was a simple matter of hiding until the other child died, and switching them.`  
  
  
  
`Soval followed the security personnel into the transporter chamber. There was nobody there. He stepped to the control panel as Sarek and Amanda... the people who claimed to be from the future, followed him in.`  
  
`"Where are they?" The human woman, stridently and shrilly emotional. Soval wondered at a Vulcan diplomat who would marry one.`  
  
`"Obviously 'they' are not here."`  
  
`"My wife." Sarek used as gentle a controlling voice as he could. Then he turned to Soval. "Ambassador, is there a record of the last transport?"`  
  
`"You are well versed in transporter technology."`  
  
`"Transporters in the future are--"  
  
"Ah, yes. Time travel."  
  
"Mister Ambassador," Amanda interjected, "an ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."`  
  
`"Human logic is unique, Madam." Soval cleared his throat. "In any case, the device retains a record of the last transport." He tapped the controls quickly, and his eyebrows rose in unison. "Somehow that does not surprise me."`  
  
`"Where is my son, Ambassador?"`  
  
`"Aboard an orbiting starship called ` `Enterprise` `." Somehow, Soval thought, it always came back that ship.`  
  
`Sarek felt a glimmer of hope for the first time since this ordeal had begun. "You will arrange to transport us to ` `Enterprise` `."`  
  
`Within minutes, Soval, Sarek, and Amanda materialized in the ` `Enterprise` `'s transporter chamber. Soval stepped forward to meet Captain Archer. "We have a critical situation, Captain."`  
  
`Archer didn't feel the distrust of the Vulcan that he once had. "I understand that, Ambassador. There is a deck by deck search of the ship in progress."`  
  
`"I'm sure your officers are doing their best, Captain." Amanda answered.`  
  
`Soval tried to temper his natural instinct to take the lead with the humans. As rash and illogical as Captain Archer could be, he had also demonstrated a tenacity and dedication to duty that Soval grudgingly respected. "A security team from the embassy is standing by to assist, Captain."`  
  
`Archer sighed. "Ambassador, our MACO team is capable-."`  
  
`"I am aware of that." Soval answered. "But we are dealing with a Vulcan. It would be prudent."`  
  
`"Please, Captain Archer." Amanda pleaded. "There isn't time to argue. My son is dying."`  
  
`"We'll find your son, ma'am." Archer crossed the room to the comm panel as Soval and the others stepped off of the platform. "Major Stiles, report to the bridge." When Stiles acknowledged the order immediately, Archer smiled and turned to Soval, Sarek, and Amanda. "Major Stiles leads the ` `Enterprise` `'s MACO security team." He gestured towards the door. "Please follow me."`  
  
`When they arrived on the bridge moments later, T'Pol nodded to Archer and moved from the Captain's chair to the science station. "Internal scanners went offline just after you left the bridge, Captain." She glanced quickly at Soval, who did not seem to have noticed her.`  
  
`"Get on that right away, T'Pol. We don't have much time." Archer was very conscious, not only of Soval's impression of his performance right now, but of the sheer presence of the Vulcan named Sarek. He seemed young, and not as downright arrogant as the other Vulcans, but there was something imposing about him. Something T'Pau had shown on Vulcan. Something that made him want to stand a little straighter and work a little harder.`  
  
`Major Stiles arrived in the turbolift at that moment, stepping onto the bridge and walking over to Archer. "Reporting as ordered, Captain."`  
  
`"Thank you, Major." Archer appreciated Stiles' crisp military bearing. He'd even found a way of working with Lt Reed. "Have you found anything yet?"`  
  
`"No, sir. Decks A through C are clear. Teams are working D through G now." Stiles seemed eager to get back to work.`  
  
`"Getting a signal from the Vulcan Embassy, Captain," Hoshi Sato announced.`  
  
`"Put it on screen." Archer saw all eyes turn to the viewscreen.`  
  
`"This is Commander Solak." The Vulcan security chief looked almost agitated, for a Vulcan. "Our teams are prepared to beam up."`  
  
`"Captain--" Major Stiles objected.`  
  
`"The Vulcans are familiar with our intruder, Major. Take advantage of what help they can offer. That's an order." Archer turned to Commander Solak. "We can beam your teams up anytime, Commander. Major Stiles will meet you in the transporter room."`  
  
`Solak` ` looked doubtful. "Ambassador?" he said to Soval.`  
  
`"Commander, there is no time to debate. Beam your teams up immediately."`  
  
  
  
`'Spark' held the infant in her arms and listened intently. "Shhh." It seemed to be growing anxious. As if it knew its time was coming to an end. It was cramped and uncomfortable in here, but with security teams swarming all around her, it was the only place to hide.`  
  
  
  
`Moments later, Archer was with one of those Vulcan security teams, not just because he knew the ship better than anyone alive. Jonathon Archer just wasn't the kind of man to stand around when a baby's life hung in the balance. That was also why Trip and T'Pol were helping.`  
  
`"Captain?` ` I think I know something that can help." That was one of the MACO's. He seemed to be hanging back to talk to Archer.`  
  
`"There isn't time to be shy, crewman. Speak up." Archer prided himself on his accessibility. The fact that anyone could talk to him, anytime. But now he was in a hurry.`  
  
`"Please, sir." The crewman took Archer by the arm and pulled him around a corner. Before Archer could react, the crewman pointed a tricorder at his face, and activated it. Under a blue glow, the crewman's face changed.`  
  
`"Daniels?" Archer recognized the familiar face of the temporal agent. "I thought we'd seen the last of you." He thought of the search team getting far ahead of him now. "If you know anything about this, talk!"  
  
"You might be seeing the last of me now, Captain. The baby that you are searching for must be found."`  
  
`"We're trying, Daniels, and you aren't helping right now. So if you know something."`  
  
`"Okay, listen. The first Vulcan team that beamed up--"`  
  
`"The team with Commander Solak?" Archer remembered the suspicious looking Vulcan beaming into the chamber.`  
  
`"Yes! Follow them, Captain. One member of that team is a temporal agent who will be killed when she enters enter the crawlspace between decks E and F just before they reach the launch bay. If I try to save her myself, I'll be recognized. You'll have to go in for me."`  
  
`"Daniels, I saw you die almost a year ago."`  
  
`"I did die. But the man we're trying to save right now saved me, centuries from now." Daniels seemed urgent to get Archer moving. "Jonathon, I can't tell you anymore. Just get to that crawlspace, before my agent does." Without waiting for Archer to answer, Daniels applied the tricorder to his face, and disappeared around a corner.`  
  
`Archer didn't stop to shout at Daniels. As he ran to the nearest turbolift, he thought about what to do. Would he help anything by running headlong into the group? Probably not. When he got to the turbolift, he made up his mind. "Archer to T'Pol."`  
  
`T'Pol stopped when her communicator beeped. "Yes, Captain." She watched with consternation as the security team she had joined moved ahead of her.`  
  
`"I've just had a visit from crewman Daniels." He quickly repeated what Daniels had told him. "I'm on my way, T'Pol, but I need you to keep an eye on things until I get there."`  
  
`T'Pol raised one eyebrow. "What would you suggest I do?"`  
  
`"Just stop them. If any shots are fired, the baby could be killed." Archer switched the channel. "Archer to Lieutenant Reed." He was hatching a plan on the fly.`  
  
`"Stop."` ` T'Pol felt unsure of herself at that point. But the entrance to the crawlspace was in sight.`  
  
`All five Vulcans, as well as the two MACO's stopped. "Sub Commander." It was Solak. "There is no time for this illogical behavior."`  
  
`Just as Solak was about to turn away from T'Pol, another member of his team pointed a phase pistol.` ` "All of you back away." He pulled a communicator from his belt. "Spark, this is Flame. Code Praex. Stand by." 'Flame' began to back towards the crawlspace access. He was prepared for this, and the Tal Shiar commander in the crawlspace would be too. If they got caught, everyone died. Explosive compounds incorporated into her uniform would put a hole in the primitive starship so big that not even their DNA would be found.`  
  
`Archer came running around the corner, to see one of the Vulcans holding a phase pistol on the rest of the team. He flipped open his communicator and touched the alert signal button. Then he closed the communicator and stepped up. "Don't do anything rash."`  
  
`'Flame' was happy to keep things stalled. In less than an hour the infant would be dead. He wasn't expecting the sudden heat on his back that quickly went numb.  He dropped to the deck, stunned.`  
  
`Malcolm Reed lowered his phase pistol. "You can relax, Major Stiles." He was glad to show up the MACO officers. They may have been useful against the Xindi, but now they were superfluous.`  
  
`What he wasn't prepared for was rifle butt that hit him in the back of the head. He dropped to the deck. 'Spark' was out of the crawlspace. "You'd all better stand still." She was holding the phase rifle in one hand and the infant in the other. "Nobody has to get hurt."`  
  
`"Except for Spock." Everyone turned at that. It was Amanda, with Sarek right beside her. "Why are you doing this?"`  
  
`The Tal Shiar commander looked at the human woman. "For the Empire." She had two duties left. The first would be easy. She pointed the phase rifle at the stunned 'Flame' and fired. The body disintegrated. "For the Ro--"`  
  
`Her words were cut off by the Vulcan security officer who slammed into her. She felt the infant slipping from her grasp, and the Vulcan was struggling for the rifle. As she squeezed the trigger, she heard the human woman scream.`  


  
`Sickbay was tense. Dr. Phlox had the infant Spock in a stasis field as he ran a number of scans and computer simulations. Finally he made an angry sound and turned to the crowd. "I have to have quiet. You two," he looked at Sarek and Amanda, "can stay. The rest of you have to go!" He wasn't looking forward to facing the parents.`  
  
`Archer pulled Daniels, along with Trip and T'Pol into the outer office. "Answers, Daniels. Now!"  
  
"The only answers that mean anything are in that room." Daniels pointed to where Phlox was talking to Sarek and Amanda. "That baby can't be allowed to die."`  
  
`"I want to know who those Vulcans were?"`  
  
`"They weren't Vulcans." Daniels had to be careful what he told Archer. "They were enemy agents. Captain Archer, the only thing that matters is that baby in there. If it dies, then those agents have won anyway."`  
  
`Archer was getting a headache. "Just a minute."  
  
"Captain Archer, Trip, T'Pol." Phlox was calling them back into the examination room.`  
  
`"What is it, Doctor?"`  
  
`"Captain, this baby is dying. There is nothing I can do. Its immune system was shut down as part of a surgical procedure twelve hours ago. Since then, random microbial enzymes have begun to attack-."`  
  
`"In English, Doctor." Archer's headache was getting worse.`  
  
`"His blood was being engineered. The two kinds of DNA were being adapted to each other. When that procedure was interrupted, the two elements began to attack each other. Now the war is minutes from being over, and there's nothing I can do." He looked at the infant ` `Elizabeth` `, in her own chamber. "Unless..."`  
  
`"What?" Trip and T'Pol spoke in unison.`  
  
`"A small sample of ` `Elizabeth` `'s blood might strengthen Spock enough to stabilize him. He would still need attention, from wherever he came, but at least he would live long enough to get it."`  
  
`"Why ask, Doc?" Trip sounded like he already knew the answer. "Just do it."`  
  
`"Because she won't survive the procedure. She is too weak." But she's already dying. He wanted to say it... but he couldn't.`  
  
`Trip looked at the infant. Then he looked at Archer... there was nothing there to help him. Sarek and Amanda standing there, looking... like he felt. T'Pol had turned to stone. Fire. Ice. Everything he loved about her, but no answers. No help. And ` `Elizabeth` ` in there... dying anyway.` ` Dying anyway. "Give us a second." He took T'Pol's hand.`  
  
`"Commander."` ` Phlox muttered.`  
  
`"Trip..." Archer hated the fact that he could do nothing for his friend.`  
  
`"Please." It was all that Amanda could say. Sarek touched her arm, and reached out to her with his mind. Nothing else could be done.`  
  
`"Would you just give me a second?" Trip led T'Pol out of the room. From the relative solitude of Phlox's office.`  
  
`T'Pol looked into Trip's eyes. "There's no point, Trip. She's dying anyway."`  
  
`"It isn't fair. Why should their son live... and Elizabeth has to die?" Again. She had been named after his sister.`  
  
`"Sometimes you have to believe that you make some kind of difference... even after..." She was almost out of strength. "Faith, Trip. You make a leap of faith."`  
  
`"I know." He let the tears flow finally. Then he looked at Sarek and Amanda. She no longer looked determined. He no longer looked so imposing. They looked like... they looked like he had not long ago. They needed a miracle.`  
  
`They stepped back into the examination room. As a couple, they faced Sarek and Amanda. Trip heard himself tell the doctor to do what he had to.`  
  
`An hour later, it was Sarek who approached Trip and T'Pol. "My wife is in sickbay with our son."`  
  
`"Is he okay?" Trip was trying to think about anything but what happened.`  
  
`T'Pol had trouble meeting Sarek's imposing gaze. Her instinct was to correct Trip. But there seemed little point.`  
  
`"He will live long enough to get him home." Sarek hesitated for a moment. "According to Doctor Phlox, the blood from ` `Elizabeth` ` has been absorbed into Spock's, and filtered out. There is no longer any trace it in his blood."`  
  
`Both of T'Pol's eyebrows shot up. Trip spluttered angrily. "Why the hell did you have to tell us? Now there's nothing left of her!" She put a hand on his shoulder.`  
  
`"I meant no offense, Commander. My wife wishes to have an image of you to give to Spock. So that he will always know."`  
  
  
  
` **Epilogue** ` **  
**  
`Romulus`  
` Krokton` ` Segment`  
`24th Century`  
  
`The small apartment that Spock had fashioned for himself in the city was orderly, if rather cluttered. He had found that as he brought young friends around to learn about Vulcan, he had to continuously show them small trinkets and images. Some of general or cultural interest, and some from his family records. So as time went by, one small table had become covered with these things. The table was always a source of interest. So he was not surprised when his friend Renak held an image up to the light. "Mister Spock, who is this?"`  
  
`Spock looked at the sad-looking couple. A human man, and a Vulcan woman, in attire that was two hundred years old. "Let me tell you a story about a little girl, her mother and father, and a leap of faith that they made."`


End file.
